THE BEAST

Live

"Oh, dear," the old fairy gasped when Eddy carried Brett into her house.

She immediately knew Brett has made the bad decision that she warned of.

Brett was boiling hot, unable to walk. The blood was flowing from his nose, dropping to the floor. Brett was laid to the bed. While the fairy searched for an anti-bleeding medication, Eddy put a cold cloth on Brett's forehead. Brett whimpered as he dozed off.

"..why?" Eddy asked, unable to believe how fast Brett began to burn up.

Brett was only 19 years old. He should still have some time until the curse burns him alive. Even Reia didn't show much symptoms until she turned 23.

"Did he have any potion to enhance his mavis while he had the protection on?" The lady asked, bringing some ice from the kitchen.

Oh fuck.

Eddy closed his eyes in guilt, thinking back to that time when Brett overdosed himself with the potion because his mavis wasn't strong enough to sustain Eddy.

"Obviously, that was a poison for him," the lady muttered.

"Will he get better after the potion wears off though?" Eddy asked anxiously.

"He would be burned off by the time the potion wears off. I will get some antidote but considering his condition, I'm not sure if it will work."

The fairy lady dropped some clear liquid from the green vial in Brett's mouth. Brett shivered in his sleep. Eddy sat down next to Brett, feeling how hot the little one was. Eddy put his hands on Brett's face, still as a rock.

"I can't bear to see him die like this ... again," Eddy murmured, fighting back tears.

Seeing Eddy so devastated, the fairy lady hesitantly reached out and rubbed his back reassuringly.

"I will get some more cold water from the river. Tell me if the boy needs anything."

Eddy looked down at Brett, softly caressing his burning cheek. A few minutes later, Brett slowly opened his eyes, coughing.

"That was stupid of you, young one," Eddy whispered, searching for some life in Brett's fever-drunk eyes.

"...you're welcome," Brett snuggled closer to Eddy.

"No thank you," Eddy pushed Brett's sweaty bang off his forehead, almost a little roughly.

"I needed to save you," Brett croaked.

"You didn't need to," Eddy shook his head in frustration. "Brett... I can't see someone I love die like this. Not again. I will be broken for another hundred years."

Brett fell quiet, stroking Eddy's cool hand on his cheek.

"What about me? If I let you die like that, I will be broken for the rest of my life."

"And you decided to end your short mortal life just to make me older than what I already am," Eddy shook his head in frustration.

End?

Brett felt the unsettling feeling of power coursing through his veins, raising his temperature. So this was the uncontrollable mavis that was currently killing him. And that killed Reia.

"Will I be alright? Did I use too much mavis already?" Brett asked worriedly.

Eddy recoiled back, hesitantly.

Should he tell the young one that he is close to dying? Or should he lie?

"We're...still figuring out. Maybe, your body needs some time to get used to the mavis in your system, you know," Eddy lied through his teeth.